Issues

In marginalized communities across the country, children and youth have two strikes against them before they even step up to the plate. Facing greater challenges than most in life, their access to high-quality, results-driven programming is severely limited, creating what we call the "opportunity gap."

Did you know?

At 26.8 percent, Toronto's child poverty rate was still the highest among large Canadian cities of 500,000 or more residents. (2016 Vital Signs)

One in four children in Toronto lives in poverty. (2016 Vital Signs)See how we are addressing these issues with our Rookie League program.

Only 2 percent of girls (ages 12-17) are getting enough physical activity. (Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity)

If a girl doesn't participate in sport by age 10, there is only a 10 percent chance she'll be physically active at age 25. (Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity)See how we are addressing these issues with our Girls At Bat program.

In 2010, only 60 percent of children from low-income households were active in sport, compared to 85 percent with family incomes over $80,000. (2016 Vital Signs)

Over 25 percent of Canadian parents say inconvenient locations for sport facilities prevent their children from getting involved in sport.See how we are addressing these issues with our Field Of Dreams program.

In Ontario alone, there are an estimated 250,000 children and youth living with disabilities. (2015 ParticipACTION report card)See how we are addressing these issues with our Challenger Baseball program.

94 percent of households in Toronto Community Housing live below the poverty line. (2016 Vital Signs)

Children from poor households are much more likely to exhibit low literacy later in life. (The Cost of Poverty in Toronto)See how we are addressing these issues with our Home Run Scholars program.

For families living in poverty, a lack of discretionary income limits active participation. While some local community services raise money to provide affordable activities for children, individual low-income families may not have the extra income to pay for these valuable experiences. (Children's Aid Society of Toronto)See how we are addressing this issue with our Play Ball! program.